Water saving cooler

ABSTRACT

An evaporative cooler has a housing with evaporative media at air inlets. A blower draws air into the inlets and through the media and then out an air outlet from the housing. A water pump in a water reservoir pumps water onto the media so that evaporation of the water cools the air being output by the blower. A timer is connected to the water pump to switch between ON operation that pumps water to the media and an OFF state in which the pump is not operated. The pump is cycled during operation of the cooler.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/068,832, filed Oct. 27, 2014, entitled “Water Saving Cooler,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention relates generally to an evaporative cooler, including an evaporative cooler with a timer operated water pump and/or blower.

2. Related Art

Evaporative coolers are used in hot, dry climates to lower the air temperature by moving air over or through a media that has been wet by water. The resulting evaporation lowers the air temperature without requiring a compressor and condenser and other components of the refrigeration cycle as used in a traditional air conditioning system. Evaporative coolers generally use less energy than air conditioner devices.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein is an evaporative cooler that uses a water pump to supply water to media over or through which air is moved to cool the air as a result of the enthalpy of vaporization of water. The water pump is operated intermittently to pump water to the media to keep the media wet during use of the evaporative cooler. The water pump intermittently shuts OFF after supplying water to the media, resulting in less energy consumption compared to an evaporative cooler that uses a water pump which is constantly on.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view, partially in cross section, of an evaporative cooler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view, partially in cross section, of the evaporative cooler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view, partially in cross section, of the evaporative cooler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a graph of the operating performance for a prototype evaporative cooler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of an evaporative cooler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the evaporative cooler of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a top, front, right perspective view of an evaporative cooler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the evaporative cooler of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a top, back, left perspective view of the evaporative cooler of FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 10 is a bottom, back, right perspective view of the evaporative cooler of FIGS. 7-9.

FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of a control panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, an evaporative cooler 10 includes a housing 12, which may be of metal, plastic, or other materials. The housing 12 is shown in cross section to reveal interior elements within the evaporative cooler 10. The housing 12 has openings 14 for inlet of air. Three such openings 14 are provided, disposed on opposite sides of the housing 12 and on the back side of the housing 12 in the illustrated example. Other arrangements and numbers of openings may be provided. Each opening 14 is provided with a grating 17 and a pad 16 of evaporative media. The grating 17 allows for air to flow into the interior of the housing 12 and through the evaporative media pad 16. The evaporative media pad 16 may be of any know evaporative cooler media material, including wood fibers, excelsior, plastics, melamine paper, or the like. The evaporative media pad 16 is wetted such as by water so that air flowing through or over the evaporative media pad 16 is cooled by evaporation of the water. The embodiments are not limited to using water to wet the evaporative media pad 16, and the evaporative media pads 16 can be wetted using other liquid substances and/or solutions as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the relevant arts.

A blower 18 is provided in the housing 12. The blower 18 includes a pulley 20 that drives the blower 18. The pulley 20 is connected to a drive motor 19. Air is drawn into the blower 18 from the interior of the housing 12, and forced out of an outlet 22 from which air is directed by the blower to the outside of the housing 12. The housing 12 is generally air tight except for the openings 14 and the blower outlet 22. Operation of the blower 18 results in air being drawn into the housing 12 through the evaporative media pads 16, into the blower inlet 23 (see FIG. 3), and out of the housing 12 at the blower outlet 22. Moisture on the evaporative media 16 evaporates, cooling the air as it passes through the media 16.

In an exemplary embodiment, the blower 18 can be configured to operate in a reversed airflow configuration where the blower outlet 22 becomes a blower inlet 22 and the blower inlet 23 becomes blower outlet 23. With reference to FIG. 3, in the reverse operation, air will enter the blower 18 through the blower inlet 22 and enter the interior of the housing 12 via the blower outlet 23. The air in the interior of the housing 12 is then forced out through the evaporative media pads 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the blower 18 can be configured to periodically alternate the airflow direction to purge the evaporative media pads 16 of debris or other buildup (e.g., mineral deposits).

A water reservoir 24 is provided in the bottom of the housing 12. A water pump 26 (partially shown in broken line) is disposed with an inlet 46 in the water reservoir 24. The water pump 26 has an outlet hose 28 that extends to a distributor 30. The distributor 30 connects to media feed hoses 32 that have outlet openings over the evaporative media pads 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the media feed hoses 32 can include one or more elongated spouts or other fluid directors that are configured to direct the water over the top of the media pads 16. For example, the elongated spouts can extend along the top surface of respective evaporative media pads 16 to direct the water along the all or most of the top surface of the evaporative media pads 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the elongated spout can be a tube, trough, channel or other means extending perpendicular to a corresponding feed hose 32 and that includes multiple outlets for which water can exit onto the corresponding evaporative media pad 16. Operation of the water pump 26 causes water to be drawn from the water reservoir 24 and pumped through the outlet hose 28, through the distributor 30, through the media feed hoses 32, and onto the evaporative media pads 16. In certain embodiments, the evaporative media pads 16 are provided with water directing structures to direct the water over the entire evaporative media pad 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the pump 26 can be configured to alternate the pump flow direction to purge the inlet 46 of the pump 26 of debris or other buildup. A drain opening 34 is provided at the bottom of the water reservoir 24 by which the reservoir may be drained. Power is supplied to the evaporative cooler 10 by a battery power supply or electrical cord 35 for connection to an electrical outlet, although other power supplies may be provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the housing 12 may be mounted on wheels (not shown so that the evaporative cooler 10 may be moved about.

In the front view of FIG. 2, the housing 12 has the blower outlet 22 at the front surface of the housing 12. An air filter 42 may be provided at the blower outlet 22 for removing particulates from the air. A control panel 44 may be provided on the housing 12, the control panel being connected for controlling operation of the blower 18 and/or the pump 26, for example. In an exemplary embodiment, and as discussed in detail below with reference to FIG. 11, the control panel 44 can include a timer 48 that controls the operation of the pump 26 and/or blower 18.

The water reservoir 24 at the bottom of the housing 12 holds a quantity of water. The water may be added by a user, or may be automatically provided, such as by connection to a municipal water supply or other water source. A float valve 25 or other control may be provided to regulate the level of the water in the reservoir 24. The water pump 26 includes an inlet 46 in the water reservoir 24. In an exemplary embodiment, the timer 48 can be provided on the water pump 26 instead of being provided within the control panel 44. The timer 48 can be configured to control the operation of the pump 26 and/or blower 18. In operation, the timer 48 switches the pump 26 between an ON state in which the pump 26 pumps water from the reservoir 24 to the distributor 30 and media feeding hoses 32 and an OFF state in which water pumping is halted. When the pump 26 is operating to pump water, water is drawn from the reservoir 24, moved through the outlet hose 28 from the bottom of the housing 12 to the near the top, through the distributor 30 that is mounted to the top 50 of the housing 12, and through the feed hoses 32 that are arranged in a radial arrangement from the distributor 30 under the top 50 of the housing. The feed hoses 32 have downwardly directed free ends (e.g., ends disposed over a corresponding evaporative media pad 16) that direct the water onto the evaporative media pads 16. Excess water from the media pads 16 flows back into the water reservoir 24 at the bottom of the housing 12. In one or more exemplary embodiments, the timer 48 can be configured to switch the blower 18 between an ON state and an OFF state in combination with controlling the operation of the pump 26. The control panel 44 and/or timer 48 can be configured to control, for example, the airflow direction of the blower 48, the airflow speed of the blower 48, the duration of ON/OFF states of the blower 48, the pump flow direction of the pump 26, the flow rate of the pump 26, and/or the duration of ON/OFF states of the of the pump 26. In operation, the control panel 44 and/or timer 48 can independently control the operations of the blower 18 and pump 26.

The pump 26 may be run constantly when the evaporative cooler is ON, but in certain embodiments the timer 48 (FIG. 1) controls the pump 26 to provide water to the evaporative media pads 16 when needed. In one example, the timer 48 operates to turn the pump ON for a duration of time to wet the evaporative media pads 16 and then turns OFF for a duration of time. The blower 18 can continue to operate and the air continues to be drawn through the wet evaporative media pads 16, cooling the air, which is then blown from the housing 12. In an exemplary embodiment, the timer 48 can be configured to control the pump 26 to repeatedly operate in an ON state for 42 seconds followed by an OFF state for 150 second. In this example, the pump 26 will be ON for 42 seconds, then turned OFF for 150 second, then turned ON for 42 seconds, then turned OFF for 150 seconds, and so on. In another embodiment, the timer 48 can control the pump 26 to repeatedly operate in an ON state for 48 seconds followed by an OFF state for 216 second. In another embodiment, the timer 48 can control the pump 26 to repeatedly operate in an ON state for 48 seconds followed by an OFF state for 240 second. The ON and OFF time periods are not limited to these exemplary time intervals, and the ON and OFF time intervals can be other time intervals as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the relevant arts. For example, the time intervals can be shorter or longer intervals, depending on variables such as ambient temperature, humidity, water hardness or mineral content, media type, blower air flow volume, battery level (e.g., when the cooler 10 is operating on battery power) and the like.

The timer 48 may be a simple electronic timer circuit containing a timer chip such as a 555 chip or other timer chip or may be a more advanced timer. The timer 48 of certain embodiments is housed in a water-tight housing that includes three wires, an input, an output and a ground. The timer 48 may be used with a programmable drain pump. In an exemplary embodiment, the timer 48 can control the ON and OFF states of the blower 18 such that the blower 18 can be in an ON state for a period of time followed by blower 18 being in the OFF state for a period of time. The control of the blower 18 via the timer 48 can be in addition to the control of the pump 26 by the timer 48. In an exemplary embodiment, the timer 48 can control the ON/OFF states of the pump 26 and the blower 18 such that the pump 26 and blower 18 can both be in their respective ON states or OFF states at the same time. Alternatively, the pump 26 and blower 18 can be controlled independently such that only one of the pump 26 or the blower 18 is in an ON state while the other is in an OFF state.

In an example operation, the timer 48 was set to a six to seven minute cycle, in which the pump 26 was in an ON state for a period of time followed by the pump 26 being in the OFF state for a period of time. In an exemplary embodiment, the pump 26 is in an ON state for a time period to allow the evaporative media pads 16 to be sufficiently wetted. The pump 26 is then in an OFF state for a period of time. This sequence can then be repeated. For example, the pump 26 can intermittently turn ON to wet the evaporative media pads 16, turn OFF for a period of time, and then turn back ON to again wet the evaporative media pads 16, and so on. The ON and OFF time period can be determined such that the evaporative media pads 16 stay sufficiently wet without constantly having the pump 26 in an ON state. In this example, electricity usage was reduced compared to an evaporative cooler 10 in which the water pump runs constantly. In addition, water usage was reduced. The difference in cooling capacity for a pump ON a six to seven minute cycle compared to an evaporative cooler having a water pump that runs constantly was tested at not more than one degree Fahrenheit. The addition of the timer 48 to the evaporative cooler 10 thereby reduced water and electricity usage. In this example, the six to seven minute cycle can refer to the operation of the pump 26 in an ON state for a time period to allow the evaporative media pads 16 to be sufficiently wetted, and the in an OFF state for six to seven minutes, where this sequence repeats. That is, the ON time period is less than the OFF time period.

The timer 48 of certain embodiments can be a custom made timer, using, for example, a three wire connection to the pump. The timer may be incorporated into the pump housing (e.g., of pump 26) or the control panel 44. In an exemplary embodiment, a modification may be made to an existing pump, such as a programmable pump as disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 14/470,161, filed Aug. 27, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Turning to FIG. 3, the evaporative cooler 10 has the housing 12 with the radially extending feed hoses 32 that provide water to the evaporative media pads 16. The grating 17 and evaporative media pads 16 have been removed to illustrate the interior of the housing 12. The timer 48 controls the pump operation of the pump 26 to include intervals of ON state operation between intervals of OFF state operation in which the pump 26 is off. When the pump 26 is on, the water flows onto and over the evaporative media pads 16, not only wetting the media pads 16 but also washing away mineral build up, debris, or organic build up. The water with the mineral and/or organic materials that have washed from the media pads 16 accumulates in the reservoir 24, and may be periodically drained therefrom at the drain 34 and replaced by fresh water.

The ON/OFF intervals of the timer 48 may be set to six or seven minutes (e.g., momentarily ON followed by six to seven minutes in an OFF state), or to shorter or longer intervals, depending on variables such as ambient temperature, humidity, water hardness or mineral content, media type, blower air flow volume, battery level (e.g., when the cooler 10 is operating on battery power) and the like. The intervals are not limited to the exemplary intervals described herein, and the intervals can be any such time length and/or ON/OFF frequency as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the relevant arts.

FIG. 4 illustrates a comparison of example results of an evaporative cooler with a constant pumping operation and example results of an evaporative cooler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The results illustrated in FIG. 4 compare an evaporative cooler (e.g., evaporative cooler 10) that has been configured with, for example, a six to seven minute OFF time in the pumping cycle as controlled by the timer 48 with a constantly pumping evaporative cooler. The graph of FIG. 4 includes a vertical axis of temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (F). The test was run for approximately 30 minutes when ambient temperature, graph line 60, varied between 86 and 88 degrees F. Graph line 62 shows the wet bulb temperature varying between 63 and 65 degrees F. Graph line 64 shows the air temperature of an evaporative cooler that constantly pumps water to the media. The output air temperature varies between 67 and 69 degrees. Graph line 66 shows the output air temperature of an evaporative cooler (e.g., evaporative cooler 10) having a timer that cycles the pump ON and OFF according to one or more exemplary embodiments. The air temperature tracks the air temperature of the cooler with the constantly ON pump except for periodic diversions as the media dries just prior to the pump turning on. The graph shows about four such diversions 68 over the 30 minute test cycle. The diversions 68 result in the output air temperature rising approximately a degree to a degree and a half compared to the constant operation of the water pump.

In the circumstances of the test shown in FIG. 4, a small shortening of the OFF interval of the pump may result in the temperatures between the two devices tracking nearly exactly. A lengthening of the OFF interval may result in a greater divergence of temperatures. The pump operation interval as determined by the timer 48 may be set to any value. The pump ON/OFF operation may be determined solely by the timer or may be determined by a temperature sensor, for example mounted to measure output air temperature or media temperature, a wetness sensor on, for example, the evaporative media pads 16 to measure the wetness, a sensor to measure the remaining water within the reservoir 24, and/or a voltage and/or current sensor to measure the voltage and/or current levels of a power source (e.g., a battery). The sensors may be use to supplement the timer 48 or in place of the timer 48.

FIG. 5 illustrates an evaporative cooler 70 according to an exemplary embodiment. The evaporative cooler 70 includes a housing 72 with a blower outlet 74 extending from the front. The evaporative cooler 70 can include side panels having grills or grating (e.g., grating 17) and corresponding evaporative media pads (e.g., pads 16) similar to the evaporative cooler 10. The side panels and evaporative media pads have been omitted in FIG. 5 to illustrate the interior of the housing 72. The housing 72 encloses a blower 76 that has an air inlet 78 within the housing 72. The blower is driven via a pulley 80 that has a belt 82 mounted thereon, the belt 82 extending to a drive pulley 84 which is mounted on a motor 86. The motor 86 drives the blower 76. The motor 86 is mounted on a mounting bracket 88 that is affixed to the blower 76 in the illustrated embodiment. The motor 86 may instead be mounted on the housing 72 or on both the housing 72 and the blower 76. A water pump 90 is disposed in the water reservoir 92 where water that has drained from the evaporative media (e.g., pads 16) accumulates. The water pump 92 has a timer 94 that controls the ON/OFF cycle of the pump 90. The timer 94 may be integrated into the pump or may be affixed to the pump. The timer 94 is preferably sealed to keep out moisture. A bracket 96 fastens the pump 90 in place by attaching it to the blower 76. The pump 90 may instead be affixed to the housing 72 or mounted by some other means. The pump 90 pumps water from the reservoir 92 to an output hose 98 that connects to a distributor 100. The distributor 100 has feed hoses 102 that supply water to the evaporative media. The distributor 100 and feed hoses 102 are shown in broken line.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the evaporative cooler 70 of FIG. 5. The timer 94 on the pump 90 keeps the pump 90 OFF until needed for pumping water. When the timer 94 has determined that a sufficient time has passed or other condition has occurred, the pump 90 is turned ON to pump water through the feed hoses 102 so that the water is directed onto the evaporative media 104. The evaporative media 104 of the illustrated embodiment includes two evaporative media pads 104 mounted at openings in the opposite sides of the housing 72. The evaporative media pad 104 is wetted by the water so that as air is drawn through the media pad 104, evaporation of the water occurs, lowering the temperature of the air which is directed out of the blower 76. The outlet 74 of the blower 76 has a screen, mesh grating or grill 106 over the opening, and may have a filter for particulates. The evaporative cooler 70 can be powered by a battery and/or externally provided electric power source, such as by electric power cord 73. The electric power cord 73 can feed the pump 90 via electrical connector 75 and the motor 86 via electrical connector 77

Although not illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the evaporative cooler 70 can include a drain similar to the drain 34 illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top, front, right perspective view of an evaporative cooler 130 according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 8 illustrates an exploded view of the evaporative cooler 130 illustrated in FIG. 7.

The evaporative cooler 130 can include a housing 132 having sidewalls 133. The sidewalls 133 of the housing 132 may include openings 136 configured to receive side panels 138. The side panels 138 can include grating 139 or other means to allow the flow of air through the side panels 138. This side panels 138 permit air flow through three sides in the illustrated embodiment. In some embodiments, the air flows through fewer sides. For example, one or more of the side panels 138 is configured to prevent the flow of air through the side panel 138. For example, the side panel 138 can be configured without a grating 139 or other means to allow air flow (e.g., the side panel 138 can be a solid panel).

In embodiments where one or more side panels 138 are configured to allow the flow of air through the side panel 138, the side panel(s) 138 can be configured to receive and secure an evaporative media pad 140. The evaporative media pad 140 can made of the materials described herein. In an exemplary embodiment, the evaporative media pad 140 is connected to the side panel 138 along an interior surface of the side panel 138 such that air passing through the side panel 138 passes through the evaporative media pad 140. When the side panel 138 is mounted to the housing 132 as shown in FIG. 7, the evaporative media pad 140 is located in the interior of the evaporative cooler 130.

In an exemplary embodiment, one or more of the side panels 138 can be configured with an exhaust opening or duct 142 that engages a blower 144 housed in the interior of the evaporative cooler 130. The blower 144 can be configured to blow air from the interior of the evaporative cooler 130 out through the exhaust opening 142. For example, air is drawn into the blower 144 through intake 146 of the blower 144 and expelled through exhaust 148 of the blower 144. The exhaust 148 is configured to engage and mate with the exhaust opening 142, where the air flows out of the blower 144 through the exhaust 148 and the exhaust opening 142. The blower 144 can be, for example, a drum blower, but is not limited thereto. The blower 144 can be powered by a battery and/or externally provided electric power source. For example, power can be provided to the evaporative cooler 130 via power cord 141.

The exhaust opening 142 can include grating 143 that is configured to control the air flow rate and/or direction as the air passes through the exhaust opening 142. The grating 143 can be, for example, adjustable louvers, but is not limited thereto. The exhaust opening 142 can also include a filter that filters air passing through the exhaust opening 142. In an exemplary embodiment, the grating 143 is configured to receive and secure the filter within the exhaust opening 142.

In operation, the blower 144 can be configured to draw air into the interior of the evaporative cooler 130 through the gratings 139 of the corresponding side panels 138. In embodiments where the side panels 138 include corresponding evaporative media pads 140, the air drawn into the interior of the evaporative cooler 130 by the blower 144 is drawn through the evaporative media pad 140 of the corresponding side panel 138. Moisture on the evaporative media 140 evaporates, cooling the air as it passed through the evaporative media pads 140. The housing 132 can be air tight or substantially air tight except for the gratings 139 and 143.

In an exemplary embodiment, the blower 144 can be configured to operate in a reversed airflow configuration where the exhaust 148 becomes an intake and the intake 146 becomes an exhaust. In this configuration, the exhaust 148 can be referred to as intake 148 and the intake 146 can be referred to exhaust 148. In operation, air will enter the blower 144 through the intake 148 and enter the interior of the housing 132 via the exhaust 146. The air in the interior of the housing 132 is then forced out through the evaporative media pads 140. In an exemplary embodiment, the blower 144 can be configured to periodically alternate the airflow direction to purge the evaporative media pads 140 of debris or other buildup (e.g., mineral deposits) and/or purge one or more filters of the exhaust opening 142 of debris or other buildup.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the evaporative cooler 130 can include a pump 134. The pump 134 can be an exemplary embodiment of the pump 26 and/or pump 90 discussed above. The pump 134 can be disposed in a reservoir 150. The reservoir 150 can be located at the bottom of the evaporative cooler 130 and be configured to hold water or other media that can be used to wet the evaporative media pads 140. The pump 134 can pump water from the reservoir 150 to other locations within the evaporative cooler 130. For example, the pump 134 can pump water from the reservoir 150 on to the evaporative media pads 140. The operation of the pump 134 will be discussed in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 9 illustrates a top back left perspective view of the evaporative cooler 130 illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 10 illustrates a bottom back right perspective view of the evaporative cooler 130 illustrated in FIGS. 7-9. The side panels 138 have been omitted from FIGS. 9 and 10 to more easily illustrate the interior of the evaporative cooler 130.

The pump 134 can be connected to the evaporative cooler 130 using one or more brackets 154 or other connecting means. The pump 134 can include an inlet 152 disposed in the reservoir 150 and an outlet hose 153 that extends to the top of the interior of the evaporative cooler 130. In operation, water from the reservoir 150 can enter the pump 134 via the inlet 152 and exit the pump 134 via the outlet hose 153. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the outlet hose 153 can connect the pump 134 to distributor 156. The distributor 156 can be connected to one or more media feeding hoses 160 that radially extend outward from the distributor 156 to a corresponding evaporative media pad 140. As shown in FIG. 10, the evaporative cooler 130 includes three media feeding hoses 160 that extend to right, left, and back sides of the evaporative cooler 130, where the exhaust opening 142 is located on the front side of the evaporative cooler 130. The number of media feeding hoses 160 is not limited to a single hose per evaporative media pad 140 or side panel 138, and the evaporative cooler 130 can have two or more media feeding hoses 160 extending from the distributor 156 to the same evaporative media pad 140.

In operation, the pump 134 can draw water from the reservoir 150 to the media feeding hoses 160 via the outlet hose 153 and the distributor 156. The water can exit the media feeding hoses 160 and onto the evaporative media pads 140. The water provided to the evaporative media pads 140 can wet the evaporative media pads 140 and any excess water can flow back to the reservoir 150 and circulated back to the media feed hoses 160.

In an exemplary embodiment, the media feed hoses 160 can include one or more elongated spouts that are configured to direct the water over the top of the evaporative media pads 140. In some embodiments, the elongated spout can extend along the length of the top surface of the evaporative media pad 140 to direct the water along the length of the top surface of the evaporative media pad 140 at one or more locations along the length of the top surface of the evaporative media pad 140.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the evaporative cooler 130 can include a motor 162 that drives the blower 144. The motor 162 can be an electric motor, but is not limited thereto. The motor 162 can be powered by a battery and/or externally provided electric power source. The power source of the motor 162 can be the same power source that powers the pump 134 (e.g., power cord 141). In some embodiments, a power source provides power to the evaporative cooler 130, which is then distributed to the powered components of the evaporative cooler 130. For example, the pump 134 can be supplied power via a power line 168 and the motor 162 can be supplied power via a power line 169. As discussed in detail below, and with reference to FIG. 11, the power lines 168 and/or 169 can be connected to a control panel 180 that controls the power supplied to the pump 134 and/or motor 162.

The motor 162 can supply a driving force to the blower 144 via a belt or other link 166. The belt 166 can connect the motor 162 to a pulley 164 of the blower 144. The pulley 164 is connected to the rotating axis of the blower 144 such that the rotation of the pulley 164 caused by the motor 162 rotates blades 167 of the blower 144 to cause the blower 144 to draw in and expel air.

The various components of the evaporative cooler 130 can be connected to the housing 132 of the evaporative cooler 130 via one or more brackets and/or fasteners (e.g., bolts, screws, rivets, etc.) For example, the blower 144 can be connected to the bottom of the housing 132 via brackets 170. The pump 134 can be connected to the blower 144 via bracket 154.

In an exemplary embodiment, the evaporative cooler 130 includes control panel 180. The control panel 180 can be an exemplary embodiment of control panel 44 described herein. The control panel 180 can be configured to control the pump 134 and/or motor 162, including controlling power supplied to the pump 134 and/or motor 162. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the control panel 180 can be mounted in the exhaust opening 142 and connected to the exhaust opening 142 via bracket 182. The control panel 180 can be accessed via an aperture 183 formed in the grating 143. The control panel 180 can be connected to the pump 134 and/or motor 162 via power lines 168 and/or 169, respectively. The control panel 180 can also be connected to the pump 134 and/or motor 162 via one or more control lines that transmit control signals to the pump 134 and/or motor 162. The control panel 180 is further described with reference to FIG. 11, which is a bottom perspective view of the control panel 180.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the control panel 180 can include switches 184 that can be connected to the pump 134 and/or motor 162. In an exemplary embodiment, control panel 180 can be configured to switch the pump 134 and/or motor 162 (e.g., blower 144) between an ON state and an OFF state. For example, the switches 184 can selectively connect the pump 134 and/or motor 162 to one or more power sources. The control panel 180 can also be configured to control the airflow direction of the blower 144 (by controlling the direction of the motor 162), the airflow speed of the blower 144, the pump flow direction of the pump 134, and/or the flow rate of the pump 134. In operation, the control panel 180 can independently control the operations of the motor 162/blower 144 and the pump 134. In an exemplary embodiment, the control panel 180 can include one or more circuits, processors, logic, or a combination thereof that are configured to perform the functions of the control panel 180. The processor(s) can include a memory, and the processor can be “hard-coded” with instructions to perform corresponding function(s) according to embodiments described herein. Alternatively or additionally, the processor(s) can access an internal and/or external memory to retrieve instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processor(s), perform the corresponding function(s).

In an exemplary embodiment, the control panel 180 can include a timer 188. The timer 188 can be an exemplary embodiment of the timer 48 and/or time 94 discussed herein. The timer 188 can be connected to the control panel 180, including switches 184, via one or more connection wires 190. The connection wires 190 can connect the timer 188 to one or more power sources and/or to the motor 162, blower 144 and/or pump 134.

The timer 188 can control the pump 134 to provide water to the evaporative media pads 140 when needed. For example, the timer 188 can operate to turn the pump ON for a duration of time to wet the evaporative media pads 140 and then turn OFF for a duration of time. The blower 144 can continue to operate and the air continues to be drawn through the wet evaporative media pads 140, cooling the air, which is then blown from the evaporative cooler 130. In an exemplary embodiment, the timer 188 can include one or more circuits, processors, logic, or a combination thereof that are configured to perform the functions of the timer 188. The processor(s) can include a memory, and the processor can be “hard-coded” with instructions to perform corresponding function(s) according to embodiments described herein. Alternatively or additionally, the processor(s) can access an internal and/or external memory to retrieve instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processor(s), perform the corresponding function(s).

In an exemplary embodiment, the timer 188 may be a simple electronic timer circuit containing a timer chip such as a 555 chip or other timer chip or may be a more advanced timer. In operation, the timer 188 can control the ON and OFF states of the blower 144 such that the blower 144 can be in an ON state for a period of time followed by blower 144 being in the OFF state for a period of time. The control of the blower 144 via the timer 188 can be in addition to the control of the pump 134 by the timer 188. In an exemplary embodiment, the timer 188 can control the ON/OFF states of the pump 134 and the blower 144/motor 162 such that the pump 134 and blower 144 can both be in their respective ON states or OFF states at the same time. Alternatively, the pump 134 and blower 144 can be controlled independently such that only one of the pump 134 or the blower 144 is in an ON state while the other is in an OFF state.

The cycling of the water recirculating pump in the evaporative cooler between and ON and OFF state permits the cooler to operate at newly the same output temperatures as a cooler having an always ON pump, but with a savings in electricity and reduced water usage. Operating performance is maintained while reducing electricity and water usage, thereby providing a high efficiency evaporative cooler.

The cooler according to the present disclosure saves water by cycling the pump ON and off, instead of running the water pump continuously. In addition to the water savings, by not running the water pump continuously, electricity is saved. Under control of the timer, the water pump is powered ON only for a certain amount of time, during which the rigid media pads are soaked sufficiently, then the pump is turned OFF for a period of time before the pump is restarted. In certain embodiments, the cycling of the pump hydrates the pads only with the necessary amount of water. This provides advantages over systems that hydrate the pads with unnecessary amounts of water and thus waste energy compared to the present disclosure. For example, the pump can be in an ON state for a time period to allow the evaporative media pads to be sufficiently wetted. The pump is then in an OFF state for a period of time. This sequence can then be repeated. For example, the pump can be in an ON state for a time period to allow the evaporative media pads to be sufficiently wetted, and the in an OFF state for six to seven minutes, where this sequence repeats. In this example, the ON time period is less than the OFF time period.

The periodic pumping of the water under the timer control avoids the problem of fouling the media pads with calcium build up which can occur when wetting the media pads by spraying, resulting in block of air flow through the media pads. The media pads are periodically flooded with water to flush away any mineral content of the water according to the present disclosure.

CONCLUSION

The aforementioned description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the disclosure that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, and without departing from the general concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided for illustrative purposes, and are not limiting. Other exemplary embodiments are possible, and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments. Therefore, the specification is not meant to limit the disclosure. Rather, the scope of the disclosure is defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. 

We claim:
 1. An evaporative cooler, comprising: a housing defining at least one inlet opening; an evaporative media at the at least one inlet opening; a water reservoir in the housing; a water pump having an inlet in fluid communication with the water reservoir and having an outlet; a water distribution system connected to the water pump outlet and configured to provide water pumped from the water reservoir by the water pump to the evaporative media; and a timer connected to the water pump, the timer controlling operation of the water pump to operate the pump to pump water for a first time interval and to cease operation of the pump for a second time interval.
 2. The evaporative cooler of claim 1, wherein the water distribution system is disposed adjacent to a first end of the housing, the reservoir is disposed at a second end of the housing opposite the first end, and the evaporative media is disposed between the water distribution system and the reservoir.
 3. The evaporative cooler of claim 1, wherein the water distribution system is configured to provide the water pumped from the water reservoir to the evaporative media such that an excess amount of the pumped water returns to the water reservoir.
 4. The evaporative cooler of claim 1, wherein the timer is housed in the water pump.
 5. The evaporative cooler of claim 1, further comprising: a control panel configured to selectively supply power to the water pump.
 6. The evaporative cooler of claim 5, wherein the control panel comprises the timer.
 7. The evaporative cooler of claim 1, further comprising: a blower configured to force air through or over the evaporative media.
 8. The evaporative cooler of claim 7, wherein the blower is configured to operate during the first time interval and the second time interval.
 9. An evaporative cooler, comprising: an evaporative media; a reservoir configured to hold a liquid solution; a pump configured to pump the liquid solution from the reservoir; a distribution system configured to provide the liquid solution pumped by the pump to the evaporative media; and a timer configured to control the pump to pump the liquid solution for a first time interval and to cease pumping of the liquid solution for a second time interval, wherein the pumping of the liquid solution for the first time interval followed by the cessation of pumping in the second interval is repeatedly performed.
 10. The evaporative cooler of claim 9, wherein the reservoir is further configured to receive an excess of the pumped liquid solution from the evaporative media.
 11. The evaporative cooler of claim 9, wherein the distribution system is configured to provide the liquid solution pumped from the reservoir to the evaporative media such that an excess amount of the pumped liquid solution returns to the reservoir.
 12. The evaporative cooler of claim 9, wherein the timer is housed in the pump.
 13. The evaporative cooler of claim 9, further comprising: a control panel configured to selectively supply power to the pump.
 14. The evaporative cooler of claim 13, wherein the control panel comprises the timer.
 15. The evaporative cooler of claim 9, further comprising: a blower configured to force air through or over the evaporative media.
 16. The evaporative cooler of claim 15, wherein the blower is configured to operate during the first time interval and the second time interval.
 17. The evaporative cooler of claim 9, further comprising: a housing, wherein the pump, the water distribution system, and the reservoir are disposed in an interior of the housing, and wherein the evaporative media is configured to allow air to enter or exit the interior of the housing.
 18. The evaporative cooler of claim 9, further comprising: a sensor configured to detect an amount of the liquid solution on the evaporative media and generate a detection signal based on the detection.
 19. The evaporative cooler of claim 18, wherein the timer is configured to control the operation of the pump based on the detection signal.
 20. An evaporative cooler, comprising: a housing having a top, bottom and a plurality of sidewalls; an evaporative media disposed adjacent to an inlet of a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, the inlet configured to allow air to enter the housing and pass through or over the evaporative media; a reservoir disposed in the bottom of the housing and configured to hold water; a pump having an inlet in communication with the reservoir and configured to pump the water from the reservoir to an outlet of the pump; a water distribution system disposed adjacent to the top of the housing and in communication with the outlet of the pump, the water distribution system being configured to provide the water pumped by the pump to the evaporative media; a blower disposed in the housing and in communication with an outlet of a second sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, the blower being configured to force the air to enter the housing and pass through or over the evaporative media and to force the air having passed through or over the evaporative media to exit the housing via the outlet; and a timer configured to control the pump to pump the water from the reservoir onto the evaporative media via the water distribution system for a first time interval and to cease pumping of the liquid solution for a second time interval, wherein the pumping of the water for the first time interval followed by the cessation of pumping in the second interval is repeatedly performed. 